Columns

New conservation rules improve future hunting at Corbett WMA

News Release

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Media contact: Carli Segelson, 561-882-5703

New conservation rules for deer hunting will take effect this hunting season in the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Palm Beach County. The changes were requested by hunters and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staff (FWC) and are designed to help increase hunter satisfaction and protect the resource.

It is now legal to hunt only deer with at least one forked antler except during the last nine days of the archery season, when antlerless deer are legal to hunt. Formerly hunters could harvest antlerless deer throughout the archery season, and throughout the entire deer season they could harvest bucks having at least one antler 5 inches in length or greater.

Antlerless deer include does and bucks with antlers less than 5 inches in length, but does not include spotted fawns. Under the new forked-antler rule, hunters can now legally harvest only deer with at least one antler having two or more points (each point 1 inch or more in length) and at least one antler 5 inches or more in length.

This year, the archery season at the J.W. Corbett WMA is Aug. 31 through Sept. 22. Antlerless deer may be hunted Sept. 14 through 22 only. Muzzleloading gun season is Oct. 5 through Oct. 20, and general gun season is Nov. 9 through Jan. 1.